Handicraft activities have always enjoyed popularity for both educational and recreational purposes. Activities such as knitting, needlepoint, crocheting, and the like enhance manual dexterity and coordination, provide relaxation, and provide the satisfaction of creating a handmade article.
A number of hand weaving looms are disclosed in the prior art including: U.S. Pat. Nos. Re. 30,656, 4,192,046, 3,971,417, 2,739,437, 3,530,558, 2,803,051, 2,726,434, 2,563,510, 2,224,563, 2,166,668, 2,065,498, 1,975,924, 1,675,881, and 1,317,367; Canadian patents Nos. 1,044,573 and 1,003,305; and Swiss patents Nos. 258,565 and 164,808.
U.S. Pat. No. Re. 30,656 to Davitian discloses a weaving apparatus that includes a base portion 4, formed of resinous material, wood or metal. Mounted in and extending from base 4 are a plurality of elongated rods 8, which may be permanently or removably mounted in base 4 to form a comb-like frame assembly. The free end 22 of each rod 8 is notched. Notches 24 and lug posts 6 formed on base portion 4 cooperate to support the weft.
In the apparatus disclosed in van der Bosch-Meeves et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,046, a locking apparatus, including lower block 1 and upper block 2, is used to hold a plurality of wooden weaving bars 11. At one end thereof, bars 11 have hooks 15 to which warp threads 18 are attached. In operation, those portions of bars 11 upon which the weft threads have already been drawn are locked between blocks 1 and 2 and the weaving proceeds on the ends opposite to hooks 15.
Gentil, U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,417 discloses a hand loom formed of a first set of needles 2.sub.1,3,5...13 held by holder 3 and a second set of parallel and alternating needles 2.sub.2,4,6...14 held by a second holder 5. All of these needles have at one end, a semicircular hook. At the opposite end each needle has a flattened region having an eye therein through which a warp filament is threaded. Holder 3 and the needles secured to it are movable laterally relatively to holder 5, to permit the odd numbered hooks to move relatively to the even number of hooks as the weft filament 17 is laid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,437 discloses a weaving device in the form of a comb with a first set of fingers 36 being somewhat longer than a second set of fingers 38. This permits fingers 36 to be easily deflected relative to fingers 38 during the weaving process. U.S. Pat. No. 2,166,688 discloses a similar device.
Bacheller, U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,498 discloses what is described as a comb loom including a base 13 having a plurality of evenly spaced grooves 14. Fixed in the grooves are a like plurality of channel members 15. In addition to a straight base, a circular block 34 may be used to support the channel members. The open channel in each of members 15 permits a bodkin 20, to which is attached the warp thread, to pass through the weft. The bodkin has to be flexible to work and the channel members have to face in the same direction and align with the grooves 14. After the desired piece has been woven on the loom it is, presumably, worked off members 15 with great difficulty. Denney, U.S. Pat. No. 1,675,881 also discloses a comb-like weaving structure in which a plurality of bars 19 are locked in a parallel arrangement by a timber 12 and a mating clamping bar or plate 13. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 1,317,367 to Hansen discloses a plurality of needles 10 firmly held by a holder of sheet metal. Swiss patents Nos. 258,565 and 164,808 appear to disclose similar structures.
The benefits associated with handicraft activities can be particularly important when working with children, including handicapped children, or with persons having learning and physical disabilities. For children, these activities can be stimulating and entertaining, and help instill the motivation required for initiating a project and following it through to completion. For persons having learning or physical disabilities, handicraft activities also provide rehabilitation and therapy, and can provide feelings of accomplishment and pride that come with creating an attractive craft item from simple starting materials. Even the set up of the loom provides a beneficial fine motor activity.
While activities such as knitting and needlepoint can be performed to make both useful and decorative items, these activities may be too complex and time-consuming for children and the learning or physically disabled. Handicrafts for these people can be most rewarding if they can be easily learned, and readily performed to create a finished article in a relatively short time. A handicraft activity which can be easily learned in a simple form, and can be further practiced employing more sophisticated techniques, is particularly desirable.
To this end, the present invention concerns a hand weaving device which: (1) is straightforward in construction for economical manufacture; (2) is easy to use; and (3) lends itself to use in various ways to permit practice of more sophisticated techniques as proficiency with the device is gained.